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How not to repair a Heritage Bulding in the Christchurch CBD… Dirty 30’s again….

The Watson’s frontage has been purchased by Shaun Stockman. An Excellent outcome for the street as he is a very proactive landowner, who has a flare with heritage buildings. (Although, as you know, I hate just keeping the facades). I know that the Watson’s Building had been strengthened pre-earthquakes. So the question should be asked as to why is only the facade still standing? Did CERA have another of their rushes of blood to the head? Any one know or remember, or was it another case of an overzealous demo contractor? I will try to find out. Link Here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/98817606/facade-sells-at-auction-no-takers-for-dux-building

This is obviously still annoying me…. I see the “dirty 30 list” is rearing its ugly head again. In the 6 months or so that the CCC has been pursuing the building owners on this list they have sorted out 3? Really? ( I sorted one-off them for them, I might add. So consider that 2.) And you consider that a success? As a building owner still trapped in a street of “Dirty 30’s” I do not consider this a success. In fact the words Dismal Failure spring to mind. Link Here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/99030236/action-taken-on-christchurchs-dirty-30-list As you all know, I think that the legislation has let us down badly in this regard. The building owners in many cases have been negligent in their duties to the city.

We have now sold all of our plant. The last of it will transfer in a few weeks to the new owner. We are pleased that we have sold the last of the gear to a local company. We look forward to helping him get up and running and we hope he has as much fun with the “Cardmaker’s brand” as I have had in the last 20 years. The factory is slowly emptying as we work our way through 50 years of stuff! Jeepers we have found some treasures!

The demolition of the back of the Duncan’s buildings was supposed to happen a few weeks ago. I do not know what the hold up has been. There are multiple engineering issues with this demo. I have some reservations about it. One being how they will resolve the issue of the continuous facade and seismic gaps in the rebuild of the backs. But what would I know.

No Demo yet….

Happy days… the sun is shining, the ground only shakes once in a while, I am in my new house, the garden is starting to look better and not working is really great…. May I cost the government a fortune in superannuation payments and health care…. I consider it revenge for the crappy treatment that they dished out to the small land owners in the city… but I would say that!!!